Picture-frame



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES F. HATI-IAWAY, OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

PICTU RE-FRAM E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 619,743, dated February 21, 1899.

Application filed December 14, 1898. Serial No. 699.197. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, JAMES F. HATHAWAY, of Somerville, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Picture-Frames, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates especially to an ornamental casing adapted to receive and retain a picture-frame, so that the setting for the picture may be varied at pleasure, and when in place in the casing the picture will be firmly held without danger of its falling out and yet may be easily removed, so as to be used Without the casing.

My invention consists, mainly, in a casing of peculiar construction adapted to receive and iirmly retain a picture-frame of the ordinary type havinga hinged rest, whereby when removed from the casing it may be stood up or hung, as desired, thus affording three methods of using said picture-frame.

My invention will be understood by reference to the drawings, in which the simplest method of utilizing my invention is shown.

Figure 1 shows the casing standing up in the ordinary manner with a picture contained therein, Fig.^2 being a rear View on an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the casing, the frame being shown :in full. Fig. 4. is a rear view of the casing with its back open, and Fig. 5 shows the picture-frame removed from the casing and standing in its ordinary position.

Arepresents the picture-frame withits suitable back and having a rest a, so that it may be stood upon a'table, and also having for convenience an eye a', so that it may be hung, if desired.

B is a casing, which is, in fact, a second frame, provided with a back B', hinged, preferably, at the top and having a hinged rest B2 attached thereto.

b b are cleats which are attached to the casing and may be turned to lock the hinged back B' in place.

C is a cross-bar which is within the casing, as shown in Fig. 3, its ends being firmly attached thereto.

In use the back B' of the casing is raised,

as shown in Fig. 4, and the frame is inserted from the front, the rest a passing over the bar O, so that when the frame has 'been adj usted in place the rest a. will hang down behind the bar, as shown in Figs. 3 and et. The back B being now closed and locked by the cleats l), the frame will be retained in the casing by means of the engagement between the rest a, the rod C, and the back B of the casing, which prevents the rest o from being drawn out over the rod C. To remove the picture, the operation is reversed.

It will be seen that this structure is quite simple and yet may be made quite ornamental and serve to give variety to the setting of a picture, for the picture may be used in the casing or it may be removed and stood up by itself, or by means of a cord attached to the ring a (if the frame has such aring) the picture may be hung to a curtain or a Wall.

I have shown the part which passes behind the bar C as a rest a; but it is evident that any hinged piece of suitable size will answer the locking purpose of this rest a..

It is evident that while I have shown a back B as hinged it may be as well fastened to the casing in some other wayfor example, by means of two cleats at the top as well as two cleats at the bottom-instead of being hinged. Moreover, by picture-frame I mean to include not only such a frame as is shown in the drawings, but any device for holding a picture which provides it with aback having a hinged portion which will be adapted to pass over a cross-bar and be retained in the casing in substantially the manner indicated in the drawings.

The casing may be faced with cloth or leather or other suitable material, and the device taken as a whole affordsavery effective and ornamental means for mounting a picture.

What I claim as my invention is-.

1. The picture frame casing above described having an opening in front to receive the picture-frame, a hinged back and a crossbar located between said front and back, as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The picture frame casing above described having an opening in front to receive the picture-frame and a hinged back provided with a, rest and :t cross-bar located between said front and back, as set forth.

3. The pictu re-setting; above described consisting of an inner frame provided with a hinged piece andaeasinghzwingafront opening to receive said frame and :t rear opening having :t back, said casing being provided with a cross-bar between said front and back, as set forth. 1o

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my name this 10th day of December, 1898.

JAMES F. IIATHAV AY.

Witnesses: o

EUGENE W. KNoWLEs, OLIVER II. PERRY. 

